Apr 2020
October 1888. Oil on canvas, 72 x 90 cm
Slaapkamer te Arles. Not really.
‘His own ear?’ she says, a twentieth time.
A Wednesday, fortnight before Christmas.
Her idea. Evening flight out of Gatwick.
I’ve been before. Amsterdam that is,
with the lads, before the grind of Year 13.
Pure banter? Far from it. But the chemicals
jived in our lungs, made us all skew-whiff.
This week it’s been Anne Frank,
koffietijd and stroopwafels five at a time,
a bartender called Luuk plying me
with Heineken. Liquid emeralds.
Anyway, the painting: forget-me-not walls,
golden bedframe. Then onto
Sunflowers, or in French, Tournesol.
Turning with the sun.
‘His own ear?’ I hear again. I say really. ‘But why?’
I sigh, wonder where the knife is now.
Slaapkamer te Arles. Not really.
‘His own ear?’ she says, a twentieth time.
A Wednesday, fortnight before Christmas.
Her idea. Evening flight out of Gatwick.
I’ve been before. Amsterdam that is,
with the lads, before the grind of Year 13.
Pure banter? Far from it. But the chemicals
jived in our lungs, made us all skew-whiff.
This week it’s been Anne Frank,
koffietijd and stroopwafels five at a time,
a bartender called Luuk plying me
with Heineken. Liquid emeralds.
Anyway, the painting: forget-me-not walls,
golden bedframe. Then onto
Sunflowers, or in French, Tournesol.
Turning with the sun.
‘His own ear?’ I hear again. I say really. ‘But why?’
I sigh, wonder where the knife is now.
NOTE: For some reason, the first letter 'O' in this poem is not italicised on HP.
Written: 2018/19.
Explanation: A poem that was part of my MFA Creative Writing manuscript, in which I wrote poems about cities that have staged the Eurovision Song Contest, or taken the name of a song and written my own piece inspired by the title. I have received a mark for this body of work now, so am sharing the poems here.
Written: 2018/19.
Explanation: A poem that was part of my MFA Creative Writing manuscript, in which I wrote poems about cities that have staged the Eurovision Song Contest, or taken the name of a song and written my own piece inspired by the title. I have received a mark for this body of work now, so am sharing the poems here.
